Tactical holster

ABSTRACT

An environmental cover for a handgun security holster, which provides noise deadening and debris protection for said handgun.

PRIORITY

This application claims the priority date of the provisional applicationentitled Tactical Holster filed by Mike Lowe on Feb. 11, 2004 withapplication Ser. No. 60/543,956.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Background Information. Some security holsters are designed primarilyfor law enforcement officers. For security holster designs for lawenforcement officers, the main considerations are easy accessibility andretention in the face of an assault by a criminal. For these purposes,the inventor's previous security holster utilizes a finger tube, whichis built into the shroud around the security holster, to protect accessto the handgun release mechanism. By the use of this finger tube, apolice officer has enhanced control over his weapon, and the assailantwill find it very difficult to gain access to the officer's weapon.

In other situations, a different style of security holster is required.For instance, in tactical operations such as SWAT teams, Navy Sealteams, Special Forces teams, and also by soldiers in any combatsituation, there are different needs. One requirement in such asituation is that a holster, made of rigid plastic, be made to be lessnoisy if it bumps or scrapes against an object. The typical hard plasticholster may make quite a bit of noise in such a situation, and a soundreduction feature is very useful in such an application. Tacticalsituations may also result in the handgun being subjected to significantenvironmental debris. This can be in the form of mud, dirt, water,grass, leaves, sticks, and other vegetation. This could occur when asoldier is crawling and/or rolling on the ground. It could also occurduring hand-to-hand combat when the wearer of the security holster iswrestling and/or rolling on the ground. It could also occur whencrawling through mud, sand, or being exposed to wind driven sand in thedesert. All of these conditions require a covering that meets theearlier requirement of reducing sound, while also protecting the lockingmechanism of the holster and the moving parts of the handgun fromenvironmental debris.

Another requirement for a holster in a tactical situation may be for itto blend into a number of different environments. For instance, aholster might be required to be non-reflective black in some situations,forest camouflaged in other situations, desert camouflaged in stillother situations, and may have a requirement for a dress or paradeappearance at certain times.

It is important that in whatever configuration, such a tactical securityholster must be removable from under an environmental cover withoutrequiring additional effort or thinking on the part of the user of thehandgun.

Additional objects, advantages and novel features of the invention willbe set forth in part in the description which follows and in part willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of thefollowing or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objectsand advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means ofthe instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in theappended claims.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The security holster of the present invention includes a holster body,which is made up of an inner and outer rigid sidewall, which are joinedtogether to form a holster inner shell. Attached to the holster body isa locking tab that is configured to admit the handgun into the securityholster body and to move into engagement with a feature of the handgununtil the locking tab is released. This prevents withdrawal of thehandgun prior to the release of the locking tab.

The locking tab is released by a release tab, which is operationallyconnected to the locking tab. By activating the release tab, the lockingtab is moved from the ejection port or other handgun feature, thusdisengaging the locking tab from the handgun feature. The holster of theinvention includes an environmental cover that covers at least part ofthe holster body. The environmental cover protects the handgun in theholster from the environment. It is designed to allow removal of thehandgun without obstruction and without requiring any action beyondwithdrawing the handgun.

This is accomplished by the use of an environmental cover that issomewhat flexible. Neoprene or other synthetic materials achieve thispurpose well. A fabric, plastic or leather cover of the rightconsistency would also be suitable. The environmental cover is attachedto the holster body by various means, including hook and loop fasteners,hooks, snaps, buckles or other attachment means that would be obvious toa person dealing with attaching fabric. In one embodiment of theinvention, the environmental cover overlays the upper part of thesecurity holster, including the area of the locking tab, and the generalregion of the ejection port of a semi-automatic weapon. Thus, theejection port of the gun is also covered. Preferably, the environmentalcover also extends from over the gun barrel to the back of the handgun.The rear surface of the environmental cover can have a slight taper, sothat when the handgun is withdrawn, the back of the environmental coverautomatically pops out of the way and allows the hand gun to be freelywithdrawn from the security holster without hindrance.

A desirable feature of the environmental cover is for it to cover therelease tab of the security holster. The fabric involved in theenvironmental cover, such as neoprene, would also preferably be of aconsistency that the user of the handgun could press down on theenvironmental cover and release the locking tab of the handgun throughthe environmental cover without having to remove the environmental coveror even without having to place his/her finger under the environmentalcover.

A hard plastic security holster has the advantage of rigidity andtoughness, which makes plastic a preferred material for securityholsters. Plastic has the disadvantage of being noisy, and a flexibleneoprene or other fabric material over a rigid plastic holster serves todeaden the sound when the hard plastic holster is scraped against rocks,walls, or bricks. Any sounds made during a stealthy operation would tendto be muffled. The environmental cover could also be changed accordingto the situation, such as a light absorbent black cover for somemissions, a desert camouflage cover for other missions, a forestcamouflage cover for other missions, and a dress cover could be utilizedto match a department's configuration rules. The environmental coverwould preferably cover the barrel end of the security holster and thuswould also protect the barrel of the handgun from environmental debris.A drain hole would preferably be present in the environmental cover sothat water trapped within the security holster could drain out.

In the case of using the security holster in water based missions, suchas the Navy Seals may encounter, the environmental cover would not be inplace to keep the gun dry. The gun and holster might become totallysubmerged in such missions. However, once out of the water, the securityholster and its environmental cover would tend to protect the gun fromother debris, such as mud, sand, grass, and leaves when crawling orwalking through brush or forested areas.

The purpose of the foregoing Abstract is to enable the United StatesPatent and Trademark Office and the public generally, and especially thescientists, engineers, and practitioners in the art who are not familiarwith patent or legal terms or phraseology, to determine quickly from acursory inspection, the nature and essence of the technical disclosureof the application. The Abstract is neither intended to define theinvention of the application, which is measured by the claims, nor is itintended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention in any way.

Still other objects and advantages of the present invention will becomereadily apparent to those skilled in this art from the followingdetailed description wherein I have shown and described only thepreferred embodiment of the invention, simply by way of illustration ofthe best mode contemplated by carrying out my invention. As will berealized, the invention is capable of modification in various obviousrespects all without departing from the invention. Accordingly, thedrawings and description of the preferred embodiment are to be regardedas illustrative in nature, and not as restrictive in nature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side view of the security holster with environmental coverof the invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the security holster of the invention with theenvironmental cover partially peeled back.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

While the invention is susceptible of various modifications andalternative constructions, certain illustrated embodiments thereof havebeen shown in the drawings and will be described below in detail. Itshould be understood, however, that there is no intention to limit theinvention to the specific form disclosed, but, on the contrary, theinvention is to cover all modifications, alternative constructions, andequivalents falling within the spirit and scope of the invention asdefined in the claims.

Some preferred embodiments of the invention are shown in FIG. 1 and 2.FIG. 1 shows an environmental cover 104 of the invention in place overthe holster body 12 of a security holster 10. The environmental cover104 includes a removal loop 106 attached to the cover over the slide ofthe gun.

FIG. 2 shows the environmental cover 104 partially pulled back, showingmore of the holster body 12 of the security holster 10. The holster body12 includes a locking tab 22 and a release tab 26. The locking tab 22passes through a locking tab passage 42, in the holster inner shell 80,and into the handgun ejection port 54, which is part of the handgun 40,and is not visible in the figures. The environmental cover 104 of theinvention includes an optional drainage hole 108 and a removal loop 106.

The environmental cover 104 is preferably made of material which issound absorbing, or sound deadening, and which is also flexible. Thiscan include neoprene, which is a foam material which may have its innerand outer service covered by a number of different materials. Theenvironmental cover 104 can also be made of other fabrics which providethe flexibility and sound deadening characteristics required by theenvironmental cover. Examples of such material includes RentexPowerflex, Polartec®, nylon, Windstopper, Gore Tex®, Hypalon™, Kydex®,Ev50®, fleece, Paclite, Gore Tex XCR or any number of synthetic fabricswhich are currently popular, and those that may be developed in thefuture.

While there is shown and described the present preferred embodiment ofthe invention, it is to be distinctly understood that this invention isnot limited thereto but may be variously embodied to practice within thescope of the following claims. From the foregoing description, it willbe apparent that various changes may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention as defined by the following claims.

1. A security holster for use with a handgun, the handgun having ahandgun body, trigger guard, a trigger, an ejection port, slide, handle,rear end, trigger, and trigger guard, wherein the holster comprises: aholster body that includes spaced apart inner and outer substantiallyrigid sidewalls formed to define an inner cavity and an open top portionfor receiving a handgun therein, and for removing a handgun there from;a locking tab attached to said holster body, configured to admit saidhandgun into said security holster body, and upon insertion of saidhandgun, to move into engagement with a feature of said handgun untilreleased, thereby preventing the withdrawal of said handgun prior torelease of said locking tab; a release tab, operationally connected tosaid locking tab, for releasing said locking tab from said handgunfeature by moving said locking tab in relation to said holster, whichwhen depressed disengages said locking tab from said handgun feature;and a soft and flexible environmental cover attached to said holsterbody, for at least partial covering of said holster body, for protectingsaid handgun from the environment, and which is configured for soundabsorption and to allow uninhibited withdrawal of said handgun withoutobstruction and without action beyond withdrawing handgun; wherein saidsecurity holster provides for insertion of said handgun into saidsecurity holster and release therefrom, with said locking tab whichadmits said handgun during insertion, and which moves into engagementwith said handgun feature, for retention of said handgun until saidlocking tab is moved out of engagement by activation of said releasetab.
 2. The security holster of claim 1 in which said locking tabinteracts with said ejection port of a semi-automatic handgun.
 3. Thesecurity holster of claim 1 in which said locking tab operates with atleast one rebounding device, so that when a handgun is pressed straightinto said security holster with a required degree of insertion force,depressing said rebounding device is required to activate said lockingtab and thus to secure said handgun, and after locking, said reboundingdevice urges said handgun toward said the entry end of said holster bodyagainst said locking tab.
 4. The security holster of claim 3 in whichsaid rebounding device comprises one or more springs attached to saidholster body, which press against said handgun when said handgun ispressed into said security holster body.
 5. The security holster ofclaim 1 in which said environmental cover is configured to cover saidrelease tab, and to allow release of said locking tab by pressing downon said release tab through said environmental cover.
 6. A securityholster for use with a handgun, the handgun having an ejection port,trigger guard and trigger, comprising: a holster body with inner andouter spaced substantially rigid sidewalls formed to define an innercavity with an open top portion for receiving a handgun therein and forremoving a handgun there from; a locking tab configured to admit saidhandgun into said security holster, and adapted to engage said ejectionport of said handgun placed in said inner cavity of said securityholster, said locking tab thereby preventing the withdrawal of saidhandgun prior to release of said locking tab, and said locking tabconfigured to secure said handgun by means of one action on the part ofa user, that of pressing said handgun straight into said holster with arequired amount of force; a release tab located adjacent to said triggerof said handgun, for releasing said locking tab by flexure of a user'sfinger or thumb, with the handgun released by only two actions, thefirst action being pressing said handgun into said security holster witha required degree of force, amount, and the second action beingdepressing said release tab which is configured for sliding engagementwith an index finger or thumb as a user reaches for, releases, andremoves said handgun from said holster, with said release taboperationally connected to said locking tab, and with said release tabactivated by flexure of a finger or thumb of said user, which disengagessaid locking tab from said ejection port when said release tab isdepressed; a soft and flexible environmental cover, for attachment toand at least partial covering of said holster body, for protecting saidhandgun from the environment, and which is configured to allowdepression of said release tab through said cover, and for unobstructedwithdrawal of said handgun without further action than pressing saidrelease tab through said environmental cover and then withdrawing saidhandgun by the user; wherein said security holster provides for onehanded insertion and locking of said handgun into said security holster,via said locking tab which admits said handgun during insertion, andwhich moves into engagement with said ejection port for retention ofsaid handgun until said locking tab is disengaged by first pressing saidhandgun into said security holster and then by depression of saidrelease tab by flexure of said index finger or thumb.
 7. The securityholster of claim 1 in which said environmental cover is made from apadded type of fabric.
 8. The security holster of claim 1 in which saidenvironmental cover extends to cover the portion of the holster bodywhich encases the handgun barrel end.
 9. The security holster of claim 1in which said environmental cover is made of a light absorbing material.10. The security holster of claim 1 in which said environmental cover ismade of a camouflaging material.
 11. The security holster of claim 1 inwhich said environmental cover is configured for removal in order toreplace said cover, or to wash said cover.
 12. The security holster ofclaim 1 in which said environmental cover further comprises one or moredrain holes adjacent the portion of the holster body which encases saidhandgun barrel end.
 13. The security holster of claim 1 in which saidenvironmental cover further comprises a removal loop attached at theportion of the holster adjacent the back of the slide of the handgun.14. An environmental cover for a handgun holster, said environmentalcover comprising a cover body made of a flexible and sound absorbingmaterial, for attaching to a handgun holster, said cover body comprisinga barrel end, a back of slide end, and a left and right side, andconfigured for covering a security release of a security holster, andconfigured for activation of a release tab on said holster through thematerial of said cover body.
 15. The environmental cover for a handgunholster of claim 14, in which said back of slide end extends over atleast a portion of said security holster which is adjacent to a securedhandgun, with said cover configured to allow passage of said handgun outof said holster without removal or adjustment of said cover.
 16. Theenvironmental cover for a handgun holster of claim 14, which includes aremoval loop attached to said back of slide portion of said cover.